BEHIND THE SCENES – Kempinski High Tatras

Nov 1, 2016

GRAND HOTEL KEMPINSKI HIGH TATRAS

Grand Dame Hotel Story

The present-day Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras consists of three interlinked historical buildings built over a period of 34 years, one next to another, on the Štrbské Pleso moraine: Jánošík (1893), Kriváň (1906) and Hviezdoslav (1923). Together, they give the impression of a picturesque and quaint construction, with various roof shapes that contribute to the panorama of the surrounding High Tatras peaks. The oldest building, dating back to 1893, is Jánošík. Originally, Jozef Szentiványi had it built for his own needs and named it Jozef’s villa. Over time, other buildings were connected to the original building, including Kriváň (completed in 1906) and Hviezdoslav (completed in 1923). Kriváň ranked among the three grand hotels of the Tatrasarea at the time of its creation.

The project was developed by the renowned architect Guido Hoepfner in cooperation with Géza Györgyiin the Belle Époque era, an era dominated by the Secession style. Accordingly, the hotel, including all of its furnishings,was also designed in this style. The hotel also included a spa. Archduke Charles Stephen and his family were one of the first guests of the Grand Hotel; he was astonished in particular at the hotel hall and restaurant. After the foundation of Czechoslovakia, the hotel was renamed Kriváň, after the Slovakian national peak. Grand Hotel Hviezdoslav was opened in 1923 and bears the name of the greatest Slovak poet. The interior furnishings of the hotel were designed by prominent designers of the unique style known as Rondo-Cubism, the Czechoslovak national style at that time.

New era for Štrbské Pleso

Starting in 1953, the hotel complex was used as a sanatorium before gradually falling into disrepair and finally, because of its poor condition, being closed. In 2003, architect Peter Černo prepared a new study for the reconstruction and building of the former treatment house Hviezdoslav. The aim of the project was to transform the historically protected old buildings (from a central list of registered monuments in 1963) into a luxurious five-star hotel that met the expectations and requirements of the future operator – Kempinski. In modifying the exterior, his ambition was to come as close to the original historic appearance as possible. During the preparations, he sought archival materials, historical photos and other documents, all of which were used during the reconstruction. The renewal of the hotel was an extremely difficult process and took more than fouryears from start to finish. The complex is located in the Tatra National Park, under the strictest degrees of protection. It is also a Grade II listed building, which makes it a national monument.

The Grand Restaurant

The Grand Restaurant provides outstanding international cuisine and focuses on using only the finest products and local specialties, prepared by an experienced head chef– Tomáš Tejbus. He prepares dishes that offer rustic interpretations of typical Slovak dishes in a modern form. The dishes are prepared based on seasonal ingredients from local suppliers. Up to 116 guests can savor the best seasonal local products and the finest wines from its celebrated cellar, which ishome to the largest collection of wines in the High Tatras. The restaurant has a warm and informal atmosphere with a comfortably furnished sitting room, where guests can relax in front of the glow of an open fireplace and take in the wonderful views beyond

Meeting Rooms

The hotel offers two distinctive function rooms – the Gerlach and Kriváň– each fully air conditioned and perfect for private meetings, elegant cocktail receptions or festive dinners. The Kriváň can accommodate up to 80 people, depending on the seating arrangement. The Gerlach is 126 square meters in size and features a marble fireplace. The Gerlach can accommodate up to 150 guests, depending on how the room is set up.

Various functions such as receptions, private concerts, parties, conferences and weddings are held at the hotel throughout the year. The experienced events team is fully able to cater to every guestǯs requirements, as they proved during the V4 Presidential meeting which was held in the hotel in May 2012.

One of the best three restaurants in Slovakia

Thanks to excellent team and professional approach Grand Restaurant became one of the top ten Slovak restaurants by Trend Top 2016. So Gurman Award is the second prize which was given this year. This only proves that every fan of culinary art will be given the best gourmet experience possible. The annual competition Gurman Award offers overview of the best Slovak restaurants. The luxurious restaurant in the heart of the High Tatras won this valuable third place mainly thanks to its delicious cuisine. This Gurman Award prize is a great counterpart of the title of the best Slovak hotel that Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras won for the second time. The hotel proven its qualities among almost 220 other hotels and outgrown expectations of judges.

Tomaš Tejbus, The Head Chef

Tomáš Tejbus is a local patriot born in Batizovce that is situated only few kilometers from the hotel. He studied at the secondary vocational school DzSOŠ Horný Smokovecdz in the High Tatras and started his career as a cook in Hubert Gerlachov Slovakia Hotel. Subsequently, he also gained experience in other hotels like Hotel Holiday Inn Žilina and Hotel Hills Stará Lesná until he finally joined the team of chefs in Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras. He started on the post of Demi Chef de Partie and gradually gained experience upon creating seasos menus and team management.

He was appointed the Head Chef of Grand Restaurant on 1 December 2013. Tomáš Tejbus is the only Slovak Head Chef in the Kempinski Network. He has been working in the hotel since its opening. Tomáš puts an emphasis on simplicity of meals but he exclusively uses local raw materials that are supplied by local farmers. He likes to play and experiment with textures. He works with raw materials very carefully not combining a great number of flavors but building on simplicity and highlighting individual meal components.

Lounges and Bars

The Lobby Lounge & Bar, which includes a separate Smoker’s Lounge, is an oasis of tranquility and serenity with spectacular lake views. It is the perfect place to unwind with a cocktail in the comfort of the lavish lounge while sitting by the heart of the open fireplace. It is an ideal place for a light snack, afternoon tea or coffee and offers a large selection of cakes, pastries and chocolates as well. In the evenings, guests can enjoy special cocktails or make a selection from large collection of cognacs and whiskies.

The Player’s Lounge is perfect for guests looking to engross themselves in a novel or chess game whilst enjoying a glass of their favorite wine, whisky or cognac.

The wine cellar

The wine cellar is home to more than 300 kinds of wine of excellent quality. The pride of the cellars is perhaps the largest collection of famous vintages from the Château Petrus Pomerol area, where prices stand as high as EUR 8,100 per bottle. Not forgetting the icons of Bordeaux, the cellars also offer Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux as well as wines from Italy, Sassicaia and Ornellaia. For foie gras lovers, the well-known Chateau d’Yquem is also available. The wine list contains wines from around the world and includes famous names such as Seresin, FX Pichler and many others.

Zion Spa Luxury

The spa is a place where guests lose all sense of time, everything around them stops for a while and they can indulge in heavenly peace in absolute privacy. The spa covers more than 1,300 square metres of space and is full of wellness facilities including an impressive lap pool, showers, a whirlpool, a caldarium, saunas, a VIP Spa Suite, herb-infused steam rooms, a Kneipp journey and cold plunge pools. The interiors are luxurious and stylish but still allow guests to feel comfortable and relaxed. Guests can relish a unique selection of herbal teas, spa delicacies and energy drinks in the lounge area while looking out over the High Tatras mountain range and the lake.

Introducing Kathrin Noll, General Manager

A German native, Kathrin Noll has been at the Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras since February 2010. She started as Operations Manager and was promoted to the position of hotel manager in April 2012, before she became General Manager in March 2013. Kathrin brings extensive experience from working in various hotels in Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates. Her career with Kempinski began in 1999, when she started to work at Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich. From there, Kathrin went on to open Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania before leaving to gain experience in the Middle East at Kempinski Hotel Ajman. Her background is in Food and Beverage.

Nearby attractions:All visitors have the opportunity to participate in a hiking trip of any difficulty all year round.

Spišský Castle, the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest medieval castle in Central Europe and surrounded by three more UNESCO sites: Spišská Kapitula, municipal cultural reservation; Žehra church; and Levoča old town.

Café Dedo, on the top of Lomnický peak (2,634 m above sea level). Visitors can enjoy delicious coffee at the café, which is situated on the top of the second highest peak in Slovakia and offers unparalleled panoramic views.

Belianska Cave, natural beauty and the only underground cave in the High Tatras that is open to the public.

Dog sledging, Explore breathtaking dog sledging in a magical winter wonderland with either a 2-hour or 1/2 day dog sledging trip.